


We Just Keep On Getting Better

by Rowby



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 16:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14572875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowby/pseuds/Rowby
Summary: At the celebration of being back-to-back champions, Chad does some heavy reflection on himself, and then makes a desicion.





	We Just Keep On Getting Better

**Author's Note:**

> So in the scene where Troy and Gabriella are in the treehouse, u can see Taylor and Chad talking on the swings and this is my hc of what they were talking about

With a flurry of mindful thoughts, Chad moved to the swings.

“Did I tell you that you look great tonight?” Chad asked, sitting on the swing next to Taylor.

Taylor giggled. “Well, you certainly look nice tonight as well.”

Chad started pushing himself gently, staring at the ground. “So,” he said, “Kelsi picked the right music, huh?”

“Same five songs we hear every day on the radio,” Taylor said. She held her hand out, confused when Chad didn't take it. “Hey, you okay?”

Chad tore flaking skin off his bottom lip, staring hard at the ground. “Uh, yeah. It's just...a lot, y’know?”

“What is?” Taylor started swinging in time with him.

“Everything about tonight. I thought we were gonna lose. I mean, Troy put in fucking Rocketman. Rocketman of all people!”

“But he scored the winning basket.” Taylor tucked her hair behind her ear, crossing her ankles over each other as she swung herself.

“Yeah, but still! Kinda thought my last game as a Wildcat was gonna be thirteen to twenty-four. Against West High if all schools!” He took in a breath. “And, the party is another fuckin’ thing. The coach from the goddamn University of fucking Albequerque is here! He talked to me! Saw our fucking game! He each wants to see me in a fuckin’ Redhawk uniform next year!” He tried forcing himself to laugh, but that just made him cry. He looked away, trying to nonchalantly wipe his tears away before they got too serious. Truth is, he had way more than the U of A on his mind.

“Woah,” Taylor laughed, stopping herself and grabbing the chain on his swing to stop him too. “Watch the language. You get riled up when you cuss."

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.” He breathed in. “I just have a lot on my mind. Troy said I should talk to you about it.”

“What's up?” Taylor dug her heels into the soft dirt below them, looking at Chad, who was gripping the swing chains a bit too tightly. “Hey, are you- are you crying?”

“I'm sorry.” He swallowed. “We...we can't work out. I…” He wiped at his eyes, forcing the words out with all his will. “Taylor, I'm gay.”

Taylor let out a sigh, looking down. Then, back to Chad with a bittersweet smile. “Really? Never would have guessed from how you were kissing up to Ryan last summer.”

Chad snapped his head to look at her. “You-you wha-?”  _ Dammit, stop it, tears.  _ He wiped at his eyes again.

“Chad, it's obvious. I see they way you've been looking at Ryan since last summer. The long stares, that dumb grin when he smiles at you...I kinda felt you liked him rather than me. It's okay.” She smiles wider, as if reassuring him. 

“But, you...you never… fuck, Taylor, I'm sorry. I-I should have told you, but we were already dating, and then the ball game-”

“Chad...”

“-And I just kept it under wraps, and I thought I'd still have feelings for you once we got back from school, but-”

“Chad.”

“-I like Ryan,” Chad finished in his breath, “I really like him, and I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have kept it under for so long. I-I should have told-”

“Chad!” Taylor yells, and even Troy and Gabriella stop kissing for a few seconds to look down at them. “It's okay. Really. I can't control who you like, or if you like girls or boys or both.” She reached for his hands, squeezing it tightly before letting go. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I'm scared,” Chad said, grabbing at his shirt sleeves, a nervous habit of his. “You're the first person, ever, I've told this about. I haven't even told  _ Troy _ . We've been best friends since diapers, and you're the first one I've told that I'm gay.”

“Okay, first things first, calm down. Four-seven-eight, just like I taught you.”

Chad nodded and focused on his breathing.  _ In for four seconds, hold for seven, out for eight.  _ “Sorry,” he said. 

“Nothing to be sorry for. Just breathe.” Taylor started swinging herself again. “I can't say I feel the same way you do, but I have been doing social research, and… jeez. The LGBT community has it tough. I'm sorry you're so scared to just say something about yourself.”

“It's so fucked up.” He looked through the crowd, easily spotting Ryan flaunting his mascot tail to Kelsi, who laughed and just turned the music up a little louder. “I just… I don't know if he feels it about me. That summer thing, that's it. It was just a summer thing. He’s barely talked to me since we got back from school, and he's really getting close to Kelsi.”

Taylor sighed, leaning her swing over and elbowing him. “Chad Danforth, Ryan is literally the gayest boy at East High, probably in Albuquerque. Hell, possibly in all of New Mexico. And, I'm not gay myself, but the way  _ he  _ looks at  _ you _ ? He likes you, Chad.”

“How can you be so sure?” Chad asked, tearing more skin off his lip.

“I dunno, just a little locker room sesh I overheard at a country club last summer.” She eyed him with a smirk. “You don't dance, is that right?”

Chad groaned, for sure his face was already red. “Oh my god, shush!” He exclaimed, and she laughed. Just the memory of that “locker room sesh” was enough to make him a flustered, mumbling mess.

“I'm just saying, it was obvious.” Her smile faded after a while, eyes on Ryan and Kelsi. “You should talk to him about it. I...I get it if you wanna break up and be with him, I won't hold it against you.”

Chad sighed, looking down at the dark dirt beneath his sneakers. “I...I can't tell anyone else. Not yet. Can...can we break up, but still say we're dating? Like, fake date? You know, so people don't think I'm gay? At least until graduation…” he tapped his feet, kicking up dirt into a small pile.

“I mean, yeah. I don't wanna keep you in a relationship where you're not happy. You should really talk to Ryan soon, though. You might be surprised.” She looked down. "I actually really like you, but if you're not happy in this relationship, I'd be fine with breaking up."

Before Chad could reply, Mrs. Bolton arrived on the scene. “Hi Chad, Taylor. Having fun?” 

“Totally. Thanks for letting us host the party at your place,” Chad said, standing up and coughing, trying to get the uncertainty out of his voice. “Just ready to hit up the DJ booth and get a good song spinning.”

“We were just talking,” Taylor said. 

“Well, I better get these lovebirds down, or they'll be up there forever.” Mrs. Bolton smiled sweetly, then called up, “Troy! You have guests, don't make me come get you down again! Hi, Gabriella!”

“I'll go talk to him,” Chad said to Taylor, then he was off.

He had a lot to say as he neared the DJ booth, his heart racing faster and his mouth getting drier. Ryan was jamming to the song, the mascot tail wagging behind him. It's almost like he was doing it on purpose, in case anybody saw.

_ Get your thoughts together,  _ he said. Then, he leaned against the booth next to Kelsi.

“Hey, Chad! Great comeback tonight!” she said, spinning a record and scratching the music to a stop for just a second, then let the bass thump the speakers and shake the party up a notch.

“Thanks,” he said over the music, grabbing a small cookie from her plate of party food and then moved behind her to Ryan. “Sick mascot moves,” he said, biting into the cookie.

Ryan looked at him, then smiled after a pause. “You weren't bad yourself, basketboy,” he said, having to basically yell over the music.

_ I can't do it not now we need to get away from here and away from Kelsi. _

“Hey,” he said, leaning closer to Ryan’s ear. “Um, can we talk? It's kind of important.”

“What's it about?” he asked, fully turning to face him upon seeing his tear tracks and set jaw. “Hey, are you-”

“I'll be at the swings. We gotta talk in private.”

 

***

 

“So. What's this about?” Ryan asked, grateful to lower his voice. “Are you okay?”

“Ryan, I… I'm pretty sure this isn't a surprise, but it's a pretty fucking big deal to me because Troy doesn't even know. I know I told you over the summer, but… I'm gay.” 

Ryan sighed. “Yeah, I know. Summer was enough to prove that. Why bring it up?”

“Because I like you.” Chad breathed in and out as steady as he could. “Me and Taylor decided it wasn't gonna work, because I like you and she knows. I...I was fucking confused in summer. You helped me come out to myself, but summer was just confusing and horny, and I've realized I actually like you now. I-I wanted to tell you so it wouldn't be awkward between us, and I know you kinda have a thing with Kelsi, but I just-”

“Chad, hey.” Ryan reached forward and patted his hand, then held onto it. “I do  _ not  _ have a thing with Kelsi. Really, we’re just friends. I'm gay and she's a lesbian, we've kinda bonded over that.”

“Wh-but… I-I heard you talking to her about prom the other day, and-”

“She's just as scared as you to come out. I'm gonna go as her date so she's comfortable at prom and nobody suspects anything. Honestly, I really wanna go with you.”

Chad felt a new wave of tears roll down his cheeks, and he looked down at their hands intertwined together. “You do?”

“Yeah. You're a really great guy. I mean, don't get me wrong, Kelsi is at great girl, but… I didn't exactly make out with her-”

“-in a locker room at a rich-ass country club,” Chad finished, smiling. “Yeah. Taylor’s amazing, but...like you said, I haven't exactly seen her half naked after a ball game.”

“Gotta say, Danforth, you really aren't a fan of subtlety, are you?” he smirked. “With the way you're acting, I'm surprised Troy doesn't know you're gay. I've caught you staring at me. Multiple times.”

Chad felt his face heat up, and he licked his lips. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I just… I only realized I was gay a few months ago, and… This whole crush on you is a whole ‘nother thing. I've been looking stuff up and everything, but there isn't a whole lot about being gay online.”

Ryan looked down, tapping his feet in a rhythm to the music which was now soft. “A lot of us are scared to come out. With a good reason, too. I just wish we weren't. Thanks for solidly telling me, though. Honestly, I wouldn't mind going out with you.”

Chad could have sworn his heart stopped. “You… did you just say-”

Ryan shook their hands, still holding tightly onto Chad’s. “If you wanna, we could try dating. Keep it on the DL so East High doesn't find out. You could take Taylor to prom, I'll take Kelsi, then once we're through the doors we can find each other. I'm willing to make it work.”

“Me too,” Chad says. He's overwhelmed with relief, he feels himself getting dizzy, but it's the happy dizzy. “So, does this mean we’re dating now?” Wow, that felt miles more comfortable to say to Ryan than Taylor.

“Yeah.” Ryan looked down at their hands for a second, nodding. “Mm-hmm.”

And, in that moment, Ryan leaned in and pressed his lips to Chad’s.

The kiss was short, soft, but it didn't fail to turn Chad into a shuttering, blushing pile of nonsense.

“Anyway,” Ryan stood up. “I'll be at the DJ booth if you need me. I'll see you Monday. “

“Uh. Bye!” Chad managed, then pushed himself as hard as he could on the swing.

_ Oh my god this is happening I'm actually dating Ryan Evans I'm actually gay oh my fucking god!  _

He felt the huge grin on his face never fade as the party went on. He eventually hit up the DJ booth, helping Kelsi pick the right song for the right occasion, all while stealing happy glances at Ryan, who looked like he was having the time of his life.

Then, as the party was winding down, Ryan felt a kiss to the back of his head. “See you on Monday, mascot,” Chad said, then took off running with the other kids.

Kelsi, who was putting away her equipment, looked to Chad running off, then Ryan. Then Chad, then Ryan. “Are you two…” When she saw Ryan’s smirk, she gasped and squealed about as quietly as she could. “Oh my god! I never knew about him!”

“Me neither, ‘till last summer. Yeah, we’re dating now, but he wants to keep it secret. He's gonna be fake dating Taylor, taking her to prom and all that so nobody finds out. I'll still take you if you want.”

“Please,” Kelsi nodded. “My mom would  _ freak  _ if she sees me going with another girl.”

“Okay, so the prom sitch isn't changing.” He swiped crumbs of food into a trash can beside the booth, picking up streamers and paper plates. “Jeez, jocks sure are messy.”

“Well, we're back-to-back champions, we had to throw a party we'd never forget,” Kelsi said with a giggle.

“Yo!” It was Troy coming up to the booth with his mom and dad. “Hey, we’ll take care of cleaning up from here on out. Thanks for your help, man.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Ryan nodded and smiled. “Congratulations for winning tonight. That was a great comeback.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

 

***

 

“Ryan? Ryan!” Sharpay clapped her hands, looking expectantly at him. “Hello? Are you even alive?”

“What's up?” Ryan asked, barely sitting up from his bed. “What are you doin’ in my room?”

“I said, what's with that dumb grin you've had all night?” She asked. “Did something happen at that party?”

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, “Not like I'd tell you. You can't keep a secret to save your life.”

“But, we're twins! We have to tell each other everything, you know?” Sharpay waved her hand. “Come on, you can trust me.”

“Yeah, no. This is really serious, okay? Drop it.” He finally sat up.

“Fine,” Sharpay huffed, “But I'm gonna find out sooner or later. You can't keep a secret that we'll either.”

“Don't tell anyone if you do, Shar. I'm serious, you could ruin someone's life.” His smile faded, replaced with a serious look. 

“Jeez, who spit in your cereal?” Sharpay moved and sat on his bed. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just drop it.” He laid back down and turned away. “And get out, I'm sleeping.”

 

As the light shut off, Ryan’s brain stayed on. His mind was flitting to Chad, most importantly the small kiss they shared. He felt himself grinning and burying his face in his pillow to muffle his giggling.  _ He's so fuckin’ cute. Man, I can't believe out of everyone at East High, he likes me! Me! He could have been with Troy, or Zeke, or anyone but me!  _

He couldn't wait to see him tomorrow.


End file.
